


A Typical Afternoon at Cuppa Joe's

by shrill_fangirl_screaming



Series: all the stony au oneshots [1]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Coffeeshop AU, M/M, Non-power AU, rated for light swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-02-17
Updated: 2014-02-17
Packaged: 2018-01-12 20:58:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1200303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrill_fangirl_screaming/pseuds/shrill_fangirl_screaming
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony is a barista. Steve likes coffee. Their friends just want to shove their faces together already.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Typical Afternoon at Cuppa Joe's

“Shit, he’s back,” Tony said, ducking into the back room of the coffee shop where he unfortunately worked. 

Natasha, the other barista on duty, stared at him. “For fuck’s sake, Tony.”

“He’s gorgeous,” the man hissed, peering around the corner. Sure enough, there he was. Steve. Freakin’ six foot something, muscled like Adonis, all-American boy scout majoring in art and playing on the football team. “He’s not even real, is what he is.”

“If you don’t ball up and take his order, I’m gonna do it,” Natasha said, wiping a counter down. “I will.”

Tony leapt towards the register, hissing, “Mine!” At a more normal level, he said, “Hey, how can I help you?”

Steve grinned like he cared about Tony and was absolutely delighted to see him and golly gee wasn’t life great? Tony’s heart melted. “Hey. May I have a grande black coffee, please?”

May I. Please. Tony about died. “Uh, sure thing, bro.” Bro? God, Tony could not get more awkward if he tried. “Will that be all?”

Steve opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but nodded and pulled out his wallet and paid quickly. “And, Steve, right?” Tony asked, Sharpie poised above the paper cup.

He nodded earnestly. “Steven Rogers.”

“I’m Tony,” Tony blurted, then ducked his head and wrote Steve’s name and order on the cup before sliding it to Natasha. She glared at him, one eyebrow quirked, until Tony looked back at Steve, who was still standing there patiently waiting for Tony. “All right, that’s it.”

Steve nodded. “Right, right.”

Neither of them moved for a second, then Natasha muttered something in Russian and they both made hasty apologies as they retreated to a safer place.

This was not Steve’s first visit to Cuppa Joe’s, the coffee house at the lovely Shield University, where both Steve and Tony went to school. He and Tony had pretty much the same interaction week in and week out- Steve would come in, order coffee, stare at Tony, leave only when Tony took a break.

“Ask the man on a fucking date already and put me out of my misery,” Natasha snapped as Tony walked past.

He glared at her. “Have you seen him? He’s-“

She swore in Russian and returned to wiping down countertops. Now the circle of idiocy was complete. This happened every time she shared a shift with Stark. 

Never any other time, however. Because Steve only wanted coffee if it came from Tony.

What a pair of fucking idiots.

However, today something unusual happened. Something unprecedented. Something downright odd.

A pretty brunette girl with bright red lipstick ran in to the coffeeshop and made a beeline for Steve. He jumped up and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. They chattered for a bit before the girl went in line to grab her coffee.

“Girlfriend,” Tony hissed to Natasha.

She didn’t even bother responding.

“Er, hello, I’d like a tall hot cocoa, please?” she asked with a hint of a British accent. Hot, British, female… Tony was liking her less and less by the second.

Still, he picked up his cup and did his job, recording her order. “Name?” he asked, mentally noting to Google her when he got home.

“Peggy,” she said, and was gone.

Tony passed off the cup and slumped. “Damn.”

 

Peggy had collected her drink when she sat down next to Steve at their little table well away from earshot of a certain handsome barista. “Gay,” she said decisively, staring at him, “Definitely. I’d put money on it. He was a little too disappointed to see me come in.”

Steve stared at her. “But-“

“No. You are going to ask the boy on a date before you leave here today. I insist,” Peggy said, staring at Steve over her cocoa. “There are no exceptions. This will happen.”

He sighed and looked down at the table. “What if he turns me down?”

She tilted her head a bit and looked at him with loving condescension. “Steven. Darling. Light of my life. Gay best friend. You are the quarterback of the football team and artistic and not so hard on the eyes. Give yourself some credit.”

Steve looked at her, then back at Tony. “Okay, maybe I- wait. Who’s that?”

A pretty strawberry blonde with lots of freckles burst into the coffeeshop, bypassing the line altogether and walking behind the bar like she owned the place to throw an arm around Tony’s shoulders. The barista smiled and hugged her, and the two got to chatting with fond smiles on their faces.

Peggy narrowed her eyes. “No.”

“Yes,” Steve whined.

“I refuse to accept it. No,” Peggy said, standing up and placing her cocoa on the table with a firm thump. “I’m going to go talk to her.”

“Peggy-“

She was already gone.

 

Virginia Potts, Pepper to nearly everyone who knew her, knew when her best friend was lovesick. She’d gotten enough texts about Steve, the grande black coffee wonder who was apparently perfect. And she was done with them both. Done.

She came to Cuppa Joe’s to try and smack some sense into Tony, but the idiot boy resisted. Pepper was making her way out from behind the bar when she was stopped by a brunette. “Hello, sorry, are you dating that barista?” she asked.

“No?” Pepper replied, “Who the hell are you?”

The other girl smiled. “Good. I’m Peggy, Peggy Carter. My friend’s a tad completely in love with him, wanted to make sure he was single. D’you happen to know if he’s into blokes? That would be nice.”

Pepper held up a hand to pause the other girl. “Does your friend have a name?”

“Steve, the blond boy over there,” Peggy said with a fond smile.

Pepper shook her head. “You’re kidding me. Are you serious?” When the other girl nodded, Pepper giggled. Pepper never giggled. “My friend the barista, Tony, he’s been obsessed with Steve since he first came here.”

The two girls dissolved into laughter for a few seconds before Peggy pulled herself together. “Brilliant. Go fetch yours.”

They split up, each going back to their friend and coaxing them to follow as they made their way back to each other. The two boys resisted, pulling away once they saw where they were going, but Peggy and Pepper were strong both in will and in body.

“So, Tony, this is my new best friend Peggy and her friend Steve,” Pepper said, emphasizing the last word.

Peggy grinned and said, “Yes, Steve, this is Pepper and her friend Tony.”

“Is there anything you boys might want to say to each other?” Pepper asked.

The boys were silent.

Pepper swore, “Jesus Christ. Both of you, sit down at this table. We,” she gestured to herself and Peggy, “Are going to go talk to the poor ginger barista who’s had to put up with Tony all this time, and you two are going to have a conversation like normal human beings. Sit.”

They sat.

Peggy and Pepper joined Natasha at the bar, and the three girls stared at the two boys at the table. Tony picked at a napkin, talking a mile a minute, as Steve sat in stunned silence.

“Boy moves slower than a sedated snail,” Natasha said without pausing her wiping of the counter.

“Both of ‘em,” Peggy added solemnly.

The boys were still short of actual eye contact. “Wow, Steve’s almost as stupid as Tony if they haven’t just kissed yet. I mean, come on!” Pepper said, gesticulating wildly at them. 

Tony was still talking rapidfire. Steve was growing red in the face.

Natasha shook her head. “Men.”

Then, miraculously, Steve lunged across the table and kissed Tony.

The crowing of three elated women may have put a damper on the moment, but seeing as the kiss went on, and on, and on, they figured their boys wouldn’t mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Cuppa Joe's is a real establishment in North Carolina. I've been all of once and all I did was steal the name because let's face it that is one hella clever name for a coffee joint, am I right?


End file.
